Packaging machines, so-called tray closing machines are known in which products are packaged into pre-fabricated tray-shaped containers and closed with a film, for example from U.S. Pat. No. 7,290,380, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Furthermore, packaging machines that are able to form trays themselves from sheet material are known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,066 to Iriarte et al. discloses a stretchable film tray wrapping machine, including means for stretching and cutting packaging material and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Modified atmosphere packaging (“MAP”) is known as the removal and/or the replacement of the atmosphere surrounding a product before sealing the product within vapor-barrier materials. In general, a package protects products like meat against deteriorative effects including discoloration, off-flavor, off-odor development, nutrient loss, texture changes, pathogenicity, and other measurable factors.
In order to obtain the red meat color, commercially available packages typically contain a permeable film, usually leading to a very short shelf life. To prolong shelf life, a so-called ‘motherbag’ is often used, providing a secondary packaging with a low oxygen atmosphere during distribution. At points of sale, the single packs are typically unpacked and the meat is allowed to “bloom.” Complications often associated with these methods and systems include an inability of the meat to bloom and/or lack of color uniformity.